Son's foundation honors parents who died while on cruise

Tuesday

In 2005, David and Charlotte Steinbach of Upper Southampton embarked on a cruise to the Bahamas with friends. The couple got caught in a riptide and died.

For their only child, David, the sudden loss brought tremendous grief. But as he mourned the death of his parents, he knew he wanted to carry on their legacy of giving back to the community.

“Shortly after they passed, I immediately wanted to put something together to honor them,” David Steinbach said.

That same year, the David and Charlotte Steinbach Memorial Fund was founded to assist Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County, an organization close to the heart of his father, Steinbach said.

As Bucks County administrator, David Steinbach Sr. ran the county government’s daily operations for nearly 30 years. He also sat on the boards of the local chapters of The United Way and Big Brothers Big Sisters. And his wife loved to volunteer at the family’s church.

In 2005, the first David and Charlotte Steinbach Memorial Fund golf outing was held.

Since then, the annual charitable golf outing has raised more than $170,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County. That equates to matching 141 kids with a big brother or big sister, according to Steinbach and the organization’s Sue Gelb. Each match of a big brother/big sister with a little brother/little sister costs $1,200 a year, Gelb said.

And all the money donated by the memorial fund goes directly to programs designed to match a child facing adversity with an adult mentor who can change his or her life for the better, she added.

Best of all, the foundation and its all-volunteer staff have inspired others to mentor local children, said Steinbach.

“It’s kind of evolved to where it’s not just about the foundation, it’s about people’s awareness of Big Brothers Big Sisters,” he said. “It’s been quite fulfilling for many of us who are involved.”

As he reflects on the years since his parents’ death, Steinbach said he feels they would be proud of all the good that is being done in their honor.

“I think they’d be touched that we’re doing it, and most importantly, that it’s going to help kids,” said Steinbach, who operates BT Environmental, a waste management company.

“Let’s face it, not every child has a great foundation,” he said. “If Big Brothers Big Sisters can push forward with helping kids and teenagers gain a better foundation — it’s all about that.”

This year’s David and Charlotte Steinbach Memorial Fund golf outing will be May 19 at the Blue Bell Country Club. For tickets, visit the fund’s Facebook or Eventbrite pages.

Amanda Cregan is a correspondent who can be reached through editor Jackie Massott at 215-345-3051 or jmassott@calkins.com.

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